Israeli cruise ships to return

According to a Turkish port official, Israeli cruise ships will return to Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast on Monday following a suspension that lasted three weeks because of terrorist threats, the official said on Friday. "Israel has informed us that it has lifted its ban on boats carrying passengers to the port of Alanya," Mufit Kaplanoglu, the vice-president of the Alidas company which manages the port, told the Anatolia news agency.Speaking to Israeli authorities, Kaplanoglu ensured that the port was secure. "One or two cruise ships" are expected in dock in the resort of Alanya on Monday, he added. Earlier this month four Israeli ships carrying 3,500 tourists which were headed for Alanya were diverted to Cyprus amidst fears of a terror attack. The terrorist fears stemmed from the arrest in Turkey of a Syrian with alleged ties to Al-Qaeda. The suspect, Louai Sakra, 32, told a Turkish court that he was plotting to attack Israeli cruise ships off Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Turkish authorities also suspect Sakra of involvement in the twin suicide attacks that killed 63 people and wounded 750 others in Istanbul in November 2003.Â